LuvCaribbean

Thursday, we took the public ferry in Redhook to the stunning island of St. John. We rented a jeep while there, and explored the island on our own. Get ready to make many stops, as there are so many scenic vistas!! We snorkeled at Waterlemon Cay and Trunk Bay - great snorkeling at both, although the reefs have seen extensive damage due to overuse. We saw stingrays, starfish, squid, huge tarpon, barracuda, and the icing on the cake, a nurse shark swam right in front of us!! Trunk Bay is also one of the most stunning beaches I have seen - it is number two on my list, after the beaches on the lagoon of Bora Bora. I DEFINITELY want to return to St. John. Ph, make sure you rent a Jeep FAR in advance - we didn't and managed to find one Jeep through Delbert Hill. He was pretty rude and not very helpful. I understand dealing with tourists all day long can be annoying, but when you're being nice to someone, you just wish they would act the same towards you. I have heard good things about St. John Car Rental.

Friday we spent the whole day at the villa, and my friend and I had two masseuses come over, while our husbands went to golf at Mahogany Run. What a way to spend our last day!! A total splurge and totally worth it. If anyone wants the names of the masseuses, I would be happy to give them to you. Best massage I ever had - sure beat my husbands poking, which he thinks is a massage!!

Saturday was terrible - the day we had to leave!! Of course our American Airlines flight was delayed 2 1/2 hours, and we came back to rainy, gray New York City.

I had heard so many negative things about St. Thomas, but we all LOVED it. Most people we met very nice and helpful. A smile and asking "How are you?" goes a long way. I never expect locals to all be falling down nice to me, because it is just like at home -some people are nice, some aren't. As far as crime goes, St. Thomas has a very high per capita crime rate, but it tends to be concentrated in very poor residential areas -we never felt unsafe for a second, and we were all totally relaxed the whole time. I do have to say many of the resorts we saw tend to be older and in need of big-time spruce-ups, so I would suggest renting a villa. There is one for every price range, and you get SOOOOO much more for your money. St. Thomas is also visually stunning - so mountainous, with views of the ocean almost everywhere you go.

It was an amazing trip and I would highly, highly recommend St. Thomas. Also, it's easy to get around as it is a small island - driving on the left was fun and exciting, especially with the curvy, hilly roads!!

Hope this helps!!